


Heartbeats

by SarahBaggins



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Holiday in Italy, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Soulmates, but actually no porn neither, drunken texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:08:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26587123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahBaggins/pseuds/SarahBaggins
Summary: ONE-SHOT. Is it possible for two extremely stubborn people to miss a soulmate bond?During the group holiday in Italy, Hermione drunk-texts Malfoy. They have been working together for a couple of years now, but he has been avoiding her, Occluding every time they meet. Finally making progress with him, Hermione gets upset when he decides to fall back on his old ways.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Theodore Nott
Comments: 7
Kudos: 95





	Heartbeats

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome!
> 
> My first one-shot. Basically a draft of an idea, not proofread or beta-ed. Enjoy and leave comments.

_"Are we ok?"_   
_"When were we ok?"_

Hermione glared at the screen for a minute before pressing the send button. It was a warm night somewhere in Italy. She was slightly intoxicated, and she had finally answered a 24-hours-old message from Malfoy. The park around her was empty, but there was still noise coming from the late open restaurants. Soft wind from the coast blew and swayed the trees above her. She was guessing that all the couples were back at the hotel by now. Where the two single Slytherins went, she didn't care about.

\----------------------------------------------

It was a stupid idea, going on holidays with everyone. Yes, they had spent more and more time together because of the work at the Ministry. Harry, Ron, Theodore, Blaise and Malfoy worked closely as an Auror team. Department of Mysteries often paired Hermione with them as the Golden Trio never stopped being a thing, and reformed Death Eaters were popular. After a while, she even felt comfortable to switch to first name basis with Zabini and Nott. They were fun, each in his own way, and Hermione was happy to be able to call them friends after a while. Malfoy, on the other hand, mostly kept to himself when she was around, but that was to be expected. So when Harry suggested that all of them, partners included, go together for a ten days vacation to Italy, she couldn't find a reason to say no. 

It was seven in the evening by the time the entire group gathered in the small coastal town. They decided to start the holidays with dinner on a terrace by the sea. The wine was being poured freely, spirits were high, and summer seemed endless. Most of her friends were by now in happy relationships. They always made a point of not sitting in couples, making it more comfortable for the group. Malfoy recently split from Astoria, creating a big scandal in the society pages of Prophet. Ginny, who befriended him almost immediately, said that he caught Astoria cheating. In Ginny's words, their relationship was on the rocks since the very beginning. Blaise and Hermione were notoriously single: she wouldn't start dating after the fiasco with Ron, and Blaise wouldn't stop dating random women. 

Everyone talked and laughed, discussing the latest case they closed. At some point in the evening, Hermione felt warm, happy and loved surrounded by her closest friends; and Malfoy. Speaking of the devil, when she looked at his side of the table, she found him watching her while talking to Luna, a big smile plastered on his face. Once caught, he schooled his features into the neutral mask he always wore and looked away. Hermione felt less warm.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Giving them all mobile phones was, of course, Hermione's idea. It was during a mission where they needed to stay in touch without using magic. It worked extremely fine, and all of them continued using the devices even after the successful closure of the op.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Days passed, and all they seem to have was fun. 

During the daytime, they were in the Muggle world, playing all kinds of beach sports, swimming and kayaking. A couple of times, Ginny, being pregnant, decided not to participate and Malfoy needed another partner. He always seemed to pair with Hermione. After the first couple of awkward tries, where Hermione overexplained, and Malfoy growled, they found their rhythm and stayed undefeated champions. As long as they didn't talk, their minds seemed to find a common language. 

During the nights, they charmed one of the hotel rooms to hide magic from the muggles and continued to relax with games and drinks. Blaise would hug her to keep her warm while they discussed books with Theo and Luna. It was nice to have physical contact with someone, especially since she knew he didn't want anything more from her. Married couples, Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Lavander, often played cards. Malfoy stayed in the room with everyone, but he often had to work answering letters regarding the Malfoy Enterprise, his own potion company. 

"How can you say that you love books when you haven't visited Malfoy's library?" Draco caught his name shouted from the couch where Blaise and Hermione sat curled together. He couldn't hear witch's answer, but he did hear his friend again.

"Of course you can visit, he is dying to show its size to you!" Blaise said while laughing. He held Hermione around the waist and seemed to squeeze from time to time as she jumped and giggled. "Oy Malfoy, can Miss Granger here request a viewing of the Malfoy Library once we are back?"

Malfoy's face darkened at the display of affection in front of him, but he still answered politely. "She is very welcome to visit whenever it suits her."

Hermione looked worriedly as Malfoy's face seemed to turn into stone at the question. She excused herself, giving Blaise a thankful smile while she unwrapped his hands from around her. On her way out, she passed by Malfoy to thank him for the invitation, but a busy "no problem" while he continued to write was all she got.

Last two days had individual activities, open for each to explore what she or he wanted. Hermione went to visit every single library in the town. Harry texted her in the noon, asking about eating lunch with him and Ginny, but she politely declined. In the evening, they would all meet again, to go to a muggle club for dancing and on the last day, they would finish with a big dinner, just like the first night. Young women all decided to spend afternoon hours pampering themselves and planning their looks. It was like being at Hogwarts again, just before the Yule ball. Emotions ran high, and by the time they all left the hotel, every single one was drunk on giggles. 

The music in the club was loud, lights dark and bodies sweating on the dance floor. It was never Hermione's scene, but Ginny and Lavander seemed to have fun. Not even pregnancy could stop Ginny from dancing. 

After two glasses of some random alcohol, Hermione soon found herself looking for the pair of grey, moody eyes. They still had to talk about the library, and Hermione wanted to explain that he doesn't have to feel obliged to show it to her. It was just a tease by Blaise, something that clearly put Malfoy on edge. 

She continued to search until her eyes found him in the middle of the dance floor, standing alone. Hermione moved from the tables, determined to go and make it right with him. They made such progress during this trip, and even though they hadn't really talked, it was clearly a start. She started to feel comfortable in his presence, so whatever Blaise did to annoy Malfoy, she wanted no part of their game. 

Trying to squeeze through the crowd, Hermione focused on the floor and not stepping on someone's feet. When she raised her head again, an unknown girl was dancing in front of Malfoy, sensually grinding to his hips. Instead of the dancer, Malfoy had his eyes trained on Hermione, sending chills down her spine. Hermione stopped in her tracks, watching as Malfoy's palm stretched over the dancer's neck, tipping it back towards him. The girl grabbed back and tugged down, kissing Malfoy's closed lips, begging for entrance. It was when he finally gave in to the kiss that his eyes closed and the connection with Hermione broke. The song continued to play while Malfoy and his dance partner seem lost in each other.

"For Merlin's sake, he is still such a brat..." came Blaise voice from behind her. It was at that moment Hermione realised how lost she was. Playing games was never her thing, but it seemed all Slytherins occupied themselves with. She avoided looking at Malfoy for the rest of the night, turning early with Ginny, Theo and Luna. Finally, in her bed for the night, Hermione took the phone to find a simple message _"Are we ok?"_ sent by Malfoy. 

The next day, she took a bus to a completely different village and stayed until it was time to eat dinner. Unlike the first one they had, this dinner was subdued, everyone tired and satisfied in silence. Blaise and Malfoy were again friendly, throwing jokes at each other and laughing about something she couldn't hear. Harry tried to engage with her and feeling bad for being the only dark cloud in the group, Hermione pretended for the sake of her friends. It wouldn't be the first time. 

Once the dinner was over, Blaise and Malfoy announced they would be continuing on, wishing everyone else a relaxing evening and pleasant return to England in the morning. Before leaving, Malfoy cast her a questioning look, that she didn't dignify with an answer. A few streets from the hotel, Hermione also decided to have a late walk before leaving and left her friends for the park she was currently sitting in.

The freshness of the night air was pleasant. It was a direct contrast to the burning feeling of the phone in her hands.   
Hermione wondered if he saw the message yet. She should have sent something else. She shouldn't have answered at all. 

Location sharing from during the mission was still enabled. 

She was about to delete Malfoys contact in an attempt to stop herself from sending anything else. Hermione looked transfixed as a small dot that is Malfoy kept moving towards her. She imagined she felt him before he was actually there. A taxi door opened, and she saw an immaculately dressed Malfoy paying for the ride. Hermione's heartbeat pumped wildly as her brain searched for an escape. It took Malfoy less than two strides to reach her. The bench felt suddenly too small, with his body so close to hers. She could feel his warmth and residue of a cedarwood perfume. There was a silence between them where she dared not to look up and instead focused on his dragonhide shoes. His breathing was slow, natural and heavy in comparison to how she felt. Minutes passed in complete stillness.

He moved first, clasping her hands with one of his, taking the phone away. In the periphery of her sight, it looked like he pocketed the phone inside his jacket.

"Shall we have a conversation?" There was no smell of alcohol in his breath, though she knew he drank at least as much as she did. She wished that she had a sobering up potion herself. 

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Granger," Malfoy almost growled her name, visibly annoyed. Then he relaxed again, putting his neutral face back on. "I obviously did something that's bothering you. Tell me how to fix it."

"It isn't you," Hermione couldn't believe her ears as she said it. Of course, it was him and his stupid behaviour. Looking disgusted at the idea of her entering his family library. Making out with random women. Looking at Hermione while doing so. Not acknowledging she even existed for the past few years. "Just leave me be."

"Why is everyone from your House so stubborn? I am here, and I want to talk with you."

"You and I have nothing to discuss."

"Come on, Granger. I know you well enough to understand when your brain is begging to give someone a lecture." It was meant as a joke, but combined with his stoic expression and overall cold exterior, Hermione just lost it. 

"Oh, and how did you come to that conclusion? Is it maybe through all the work interactions that we had this past couple of years? Oh wait, we haven't, cause you are the only one in the team who doesn't want to speak to me." She couldn't stop herself. "Maybe we spent time together at school doing homework? No, not that neither?" All her insecurities just flew out freely, her chest open like a birdcage. "I know! You must have learned so much about me while I was bleeding on your Mansion's floor? Maybe you understood how dirty my blood was and that it ain't worth the effort to befriend a simple Mudblood."

Malfoy jumped as a cat someone threw hot water at. "That's enough, thank you!" He started leaving the park and Hermione just short of running.

"Malfoy," she got up and hurried up behind him. "I am sorry, that was uncalled for." She grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to slow him down. He just shrugged her off and continued to walk. "Listen, I..." she tried again, feeling even more horrible than before. "I didn't mean it Malfoy."

"I hated that you couldn't be Gryffindor enough to tell me how you really felt." He murmured in his chin, hitting every little pebble that was in the way of his shoes. "I hoped during the holidays... But now that I know, Merlin..." 

They walked to the edge of the park, where the public beach started. The moon was shining strong enough for them to see the waves break upon the shore. It was a sand beach, so Malfoy charmed his shoes against the sand before continuing towards the water.

"I hate that I made you feel less," he finally said, stopping where the water couldn't reach him, turning around towards Hermione. "It was never my intention. Not even in school... When we started working at the Ministry, I thought you wanted me to stay away."

"I never said such a thing Malfoy!" Hermione stopped and protested. Her sensible heels kept falling through the sand, and by now, she felt like the entire beach was inside her shoes. "How did you come up to that when I became practically best friends with Blaise and Theo?"

"And you think I haven't noticed? How you laugh with Theo and flirt with Blaise?"

"I'm not flirting!"

Malfoy continued as if she hadn't spoken. "And when I am around, you become quiet and walled off. The only time you ever look at me is when I am with someone else, and you know I cannot approach or talk to you. You did it when Astoria was around, and you did it again back in the club."

At the mention of the girl in the club, Hermione huffed and ungracefully planted herself on a nearby rock. There wouldn't be any discussing of other women with Malfoy while her feet were killing her. Only one thing was allowed to hurt her at any given moment, and right now she planned to let Malfoy be it, as an apology for the cruel words she didn't mean.

Before she could reach for her wand, Malfoy knelt in front of her, taking one foot in his lap and removing the shoe. It was full of sand, just as she thought. Casting wandless magic, he cleaned the shoe and then he used his fingers to clean her toes. Having a kneeling Malfoy hold her dirty foot in his lap was an out-of-body experience for Hermione. She just accused him of hating her blood status, and now he was in literal dirt because of her.

"I hate when you don't use that amazing brain of yours. Keeping sand away is a simple spell." He was done with one and started on the other foot, not looking up from her toes. It was a backhanded compliment, but Hermione started to believe he only knew how to give her those.

  
"And I hate it when you Occlude when it is just the two of us." 

From her place on the rock above him, Malfoy looked vulnerable for a moment. He squared his shoulders and put her shoes back on. Finally looking back at her, he slipped into the neutral expression he always wore. Then slowly, very slowly, he let the cover disappear. 

"Is this better, Hermione?"

It was not the way he said the name that made her gasp. It was his eyes. Hermione could see the molten silver in his irises swirl as he locked them together. She dared not look away when he was finally sharing himself with her. Her ankles were still held by him, and she could feel the electric tingling of magic where he touched her skin. 

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Hermione dared to ask. 

  
"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he looked worried as he gazed down to where his hands rested, still not letting go. "It's my magic, it misbehaves when I don't use Occulmency."

Seeing that he was starting to disappear behind the mask again, Hermione hurried to stop him. 

"No, please don't. I... I like it."

Hermione blushed so hard she believed her hair had become as red as Ron's. Knowing that the magic wasn't scaring her off, Malfoy dared to pull her down, making her slip from the stone she was sitting on and into his lap. His arms curled around her back, staying put just above the waist, holding her body close to his. Trapped between the rock and a hard space that was Malfoy, Hermione placed both of her hands on his chest. Heartbeats beneath were as fast as her own. 

"I am sorry if I hurt you lately," Malfoy whispered, his breath warming Hermione's face. "I think I was trying to punish myself, but maybe you got caught in it."

Hermione decided to ignore the bad, and instead focus on what she just realised was Malfoy's way of admitting he liked her. "Your magic, it's not only when we touch, isn't it?" He squeezed her lightly in response. "I felt it on the first night when you smiled at me. And now when I know how it feels, maybe a couple of times at work?" Another squeeze, followed by burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Malfoy..." Hermione abruptly stiffened, remembering the first time she felt his particular magical signature.

"You are the only witch I ever cared for. Even when you were forbidden, I felt like a part of me belonged to you." He raised his head so that their foreheads met, his breath on Hermione's lips. "When they brought you to the Mansion, I begged of all the gods to help me save you."

"I felt you Malfoy," she dropped to a whisper. "Draco, I felt your magic when the knife pierced my skin. And then it disappeared..."

"Mother took me out of the room. She noticed what was happening."

"I thought I made it up. That the pain made me hallucinate. And then we had no contact until the Ministry."

"Because I believed you hated me and would never want any connection to a Death Eater."

"And when we were finally working together, I wasn't brave enough to ask you about it," she finished. 

For all the missed opportunities, Hermione decided to prove herself a Gryffindor. Her hands wrapped around his neck and gently pulled down, their lips finally coming together. It was like ice to her fire, chilling her to the bone, yet somehow the most pleasant feeling ever. Their shared magic hummed happily, as Draco deepened the kiss. 

Hours passed, and the sun began to rise above the sea. Before anyone could see the newly lovers, Draco apparated them into Hermione's room where they continued to talk and explore the mysteries of their connection. When it was time to check out, they called Blaise to ask if his home in Italy was available for the next week or two. 

"Please don't ruin my best sheets," Blaise laughed approvingly and hung up on them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I woke up with this scene of drunk Hermione texting Draco and I had to get it out of my head. Basically, everything is written around the fact I wanted her to be mortified about the realisation that she has feelings for Malfoy.
> 
> If I knew how to write proper smut, this would be a longer chapter after her landing in his lap. This way, use your imagination :)


End file.
